Chris Walby

I have a couple of models (IC) that have or used steel wing bolts, the first I changed back to nylon and the other I have to fit additional bands why? Because steel wing bolts undo themselves! I tried sprung washers and even some very fancy (norlock) and even attaching washers to the screw heads so I could cable tie them. In the end it was just easier and far more reliable to use nylon screws. One other thing and that is in the event of unfortunate incident the nylon screws will probably sheer off whereas the steel screws will certainly cause more damage to either the wing or fuselage or both.

Assuming you are rotating the crankshaft in the right direction and you know where the piston is then yes.

Spektrum TX's notify you that you are about to leave the model menu and go to model select/TX settings (it then turns the RF off), but it does not stop you from continuing. It will be based on the owner knowing that they need to have removed the flight battery (electric) and/or set the correct fail safe's up. The newer TX's remind you to rebind the RX after certain functions have been changed like throttle reversal, but then again the owner can ignore doing it. As the say "nothing is idiot proof to a suitable igneous idiot" PS I was watching an air accident investigate. The commercial aircraft started its stick shaker, both pilots pulled back on the stick and did not increase throttles. The aircraft stalled and crashed. My point is that their training was incorrect, but who trains us on complex (to me!) transmitter equipment? Perhaps the BMFA A and B certs should have a section on evidencing TX control checks as well as model checks pre-flight?

IMO it depends on landing air speed and a bit of luck, oh and how big a diameter prop it is? WooHoo (twin) has small props so hardly ever break a prop FT Versa has those floppy 8x4 and seem ok, but if you put a stiffer prop on they sometimes break - see note Focke Stick (twin) small props NP Outlaw NP and Ripmax Spitfire, TN Ta154 - see note Cambrian FF ME109 when I had it used to break the odd one Note - before beefing up the prop to an IC one its worth checking the strength of the firewall. TN Ta154, Ripmax Spitfire and Versa have cheese bulkheads and all you do is move the problem somewhere else....that causes more damage when it lets go! PS Is it me but are folding props less efficient than a non folding one?

Runs on because? Just due to its mass As its heavy, it has a higher landing speed, but then why doe it "float" Something else? Just interested as to the reason, cheers

Could it not be a plain old servo reverser? I have some with an in, out and out reversed on leads, perhaps this is the leadless version? If it is then it will only work in one combination ?

I don't hold with the TX telemetry suggestion for a couple of reasons, firstly the assumption that when the model contacts with the ground, that the battery is not ejected/disconnected thus powering off the RX won't happen. Ok I suppose if you have logged GPS that you can look at that. Secondly I had a model dead stick and the glide was a lot better than I expected hence it skimmed the top of the maze until dropping in. We (three/four of us) spent the best part of 90 minutes walking around with the TX held at waist, chest and arms reach trying to determine its location by signal strength. We gave up once it was getting dark and I returned the next morning. Fortunately an cub member had videoed the flight and by using landmarks in the distance could work out its flight path. Another 45 minutes of searching and still nothing until one of the trips of walking in and out of the field to get my bearings I came across it standing on its nose undamaged in the maze (it was nowhere near where the TX suggested). I appreciate warbirds have camouflage and in this case it worked very well. Perhaps telemetry works better in less demanding situations, but then again don't you want to find the hard to find model!

Dream on Martin, there is absolutely no chance of getting that under 82dB, but as the BBC would say "other clubs are available".

This is a highly charged debate that has no big end and we just have to hold differential views before motoring on to something more productive. Its just all torque and hot air that does not help lift the discussion due to some people just dragging us back down to the ground level. Can we just elevate ourselves and reach for the skies to promote the hobby rather than dive and roll about with no common porpoise. PS No answers here, just lost in the long grass doing my own thing.

I have an odd medical condition that manifests itself with the side effect of purchasing mostly twin powered models although I have acquired EDF's and some odd things with only one prop attached! Nothing quire like a nice circuit with a descending low pass through the flight line and although electric is ok and 3 or 4 bladed props can sound nice its not quite the same as 4 stroke IC engine IMO 🙂 There have been other threads discussing the merits of electric/ic and the fuzzy cross over point (that's slowly moving towards larger models) and for me there is the continuing bad press of the model plane killing twins. Compared with the number of single motor/engine models that bite the dust, twins are in the minority. Jon gave me some general advice and it works well for me "Always fly with a plan B in mind" If something fails or packs up what's the plan to manage the situation for the best outcome and its just as applicable for twins. Reliability is about quality of the product and preparation and I have had more electric twins have one quit than I have with IC. Plus more other component failures or dumb thumbs resulting in the use of the black bin liner! PS Some models are more tolerant if one quits and Peter Millers Grumpy Tiger Cub is well known for its ability to fly on one motor/engine.

I use SaferPets on the dogs, its not very large or heavy + I only turn it on when the dogs are off the lead and likely to do a bunk. It would work well if the model is stationary as the accuracy improves over a few seconds/minutes as long as there is a phone signal! Its less effective with the dog at full speed heading across the field, but that's not the point for me. Its if the dog gets trapped/stuck/injured as I would be able to find them rather than start a search over a couple of square miles.

Would be nice to know where the C of G is and what washing powder you use? T shirt from 1986, impressive on both counts ! 😉

Wow what a load of doom and gloom, well it must be all down hill as we are past day 201 leaving only 164 days left to the end of the year and it won't be any better for the first 4 months of next year either. Its not like this happens every year, but wait a moment it does happen every year! How about build a WooHoo, easy to build , a bit of covering practice and it will fly in almost anything the British weather can chuck at it. Hand launch and on low rates is very stable, high rates and it is WooHoo!. If you want something bigger then Lindsey Todd's Renaissance (designed to use lots of different building skills and a nice follow on from a high wing foam thing) or a Peter Miller design. Could you be tempted to the dark side of twins with an electric Grumpy Tiger Cub, my young apprentice 🤣 PS I have amassed 274 flights this year to date and a good chuck has been training others, so in my book its a case of making the most of any time that you can fly! PPS don't forget a model with LED's for flying when its dark...great fun!...oh and skis for the snow.. tried floats yet?

I think you are missing the point, if the deal seems to good to be true then it probably is (most likely its a fake). Two things I hold close are service/support and reliability. Firstly I use LMS and 4max as I get good advice, not the cheapest, but in the long run saves me time so I am happy with that. Secondly I use Laser engines as I fly mostly twins and number one golden rule is avoid getting into a sticky situation than trying to get out of one and Laser engines are renown for their reliability. I have a couple of electric models (Outlaw one of them) which is about 1.5 kg and capable of +150mph. I take my responsibility as the pilot in control very seriously as almost all of my models would cause very serious injury if it hit someone. Personally if I knew I had a fake component (servo, RX, etc) and an accident occurred I would feel responsible irrespective of the legal consequences. PS I have a cheap foamboard model, probably cost less than £25 total, great fun to fly and I would still be disappointed if I damaged/destroyed it due to component failure...dumb thumbs is another thing altogether. PPS I picked up a model that had taken the guy 18 years to build, flies well and I don't see why it should not be around in another 18 years if I look after it (might have just worn the Laser out by then..but perhaps not!)

Petrol 30cc props Specification of the aircraft propeller: 18x8,18x10,20x8 Laser 180 17×8-10 18×8-10 19×6-8 20×6 Looking at the recommended prop sizes I think it will be very close, but the Laser will sound much better 🙂

Depends on the lipo and how used/abused its is but sometimes a balance charge can take a lot longer to fully charge the battery. Example 3S2200 discharged to 50% e.g. 1100mAh and recharged at 2.2A should take 30 minutes to recharge (about that for a charger not on the balance setting), but I have had a lipo take a hour or just timed out on balance setting. At the field I just charge (not balance) and then balance charge at home while in the same room watching them and doing something else. I then record the pre charge state and the amount of charge put back in. In my experience once the lipo looses 10% of its capacity I start to notice the peak performance is tailing off (hard to notice on a trainer, but on a poky set up, its apparent) time to retire the lipo before it gives trouble. Had lipos have a cell fail under high load which is just after take off, can't say its an enjoyable experience trying to get the model back into the field (over the hedge) with the ESC latched in low voltage cut out. Sure there will be lots of things other people do and its just a case of doing what you want to do.

I think you are miss quoting Phoenix The Domino Trainer ARF comes out of the box 95% prebuilt and you can be out at the flying field in only a few hours. Build FAST- NO GLUEING OR SPECIAL TOOLS required, Just only two tools are all you need. It has sturdy all balsa/ply wood construction and is very stable in flight. The world of radio-controlled flight offers all kinds of adventures. If you're someone who's looking to begin the quest for adventure with a plane of your own, you've got a lot to look forward to. Start with success. Start with the Domino Trainer from Phoenix Model!!! Try building something from scratch....that last 5% can translate into many hours of work 🤣

Depends on how cleaver the discharger is? If its a resistance perhaps it raises the voltage until it meets the desired discharge current, so becomes a constant current device irrespective of voltage If its a battery then it does the same sort of thing, by raising the output voltage until it reaches its set discharge current - this sort of sounds ok if its a very large lead acid that can tolerate this sort of charging profile. The concern is if you tried this with a low cell count/ low capacity Lipo, probably a good way of making it catch fire! There are bespoke lipo dischargers on the market that have low voltage cut off, but they do just generate heat in the process ISDT FD-200 Smart Discharger,200W 25A Wireless APP Control Discharger Capacity for 2-8S Lipo Battery Discharging: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games Interesting to know quite how it works, although I can't see how practical it would be.

Why not post the question in "Laser Engines - Technical questions"?

I am very pleased with my M6D and M6. Compact, easy to view screen and quiet/effective fan, case does not get hot so the heat is going somewhere else.

Flying Sunday with almost zero wind. Still getting to grips with the Habu SS landing (just how slow it will fly) and more fun with the Laser FT 200 powered Balsa USA cub. Half throttle will do nicely and with the odd 3/4 throttle on the wheeling turns. PS must square up the cub UC!

Toto, I am surprised at what manufacturers don't include in the way of strengthen or structural support, but if they do extensive testing and nothing fails then its strong enough. Worth bearing in mind that they don't design or built models to survive crashes and as you increase the AUW with repairs you will notice the degrading flight performance...as they say "build in lightness". I have flown both very well used/crashed models and then their brand new stable mate and its quite noticeable how much better the latter flies.

I'll be there both days, flying might be dependent on what's serviceable in the hanger. 😉

Would something like this do? The advantage is if the wheel gets caught the arm will rotate on the shaft or pull the screw out of the rudder fin rather than damage the rudder servo

Ok so looking at the sales pitch an ammo box will get to 700C and the youtuber advises it should be on a non combustible surface and nothing within 1 meter all the way around it? The Bat-safe did say how hot the case actually got but just advised combustible martials should not be within proximity of the Bat-safe, two points of not being very helpful IMO Question for those that use Bat-Safe's - how do you charge batteries as it says the catch has to be latched on the lid and does this not risk pinching the charging cables? Thanks for constructive reply's